Railway block-signaling system.



Y. BURGESS. I RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNALING SYST BM.

v I APPLICATION FILED 001'. 18, 1010. 1,026,200. Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Y]. BURGESS; RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION TILED 001. 1B, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5/ 65666 KWz M @M Patented May 14, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YoIeKE BURGESS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIoavoa, BY MEsIm" ASSIGNMENTS, To IN ERNATIONAL AUTOMATIC SIGNAL COMPANY, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A

CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

RAILWAY BLOCK-SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented May 14,1912.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, YORKE BURGESS, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Railway Block- Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway block signaling systems, and in many of its features particularly to systems wherein the signals are displayed upon t moving train through the agency of electrical devices generally located in the locomotive cab.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a closed circuit system,-that is, one in which the common track and the track contacts or controls normally cooperate with electrical connections on the cab to provide a closed main circuit, and in which, also, the track relays are in normally closed track circuits,so-that rupture of the essential circuit connections may cause signaling operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a system in which the track Contact devices or controls for cooperation with the cab circuit connections may be-made physically a part of the track-rails proper, so as to dispense with a third rail or other extraneous devices, and to minimize the expense of installation. Another object of my invention is to provide a system in which the cab signals may indicate the direction from which any signal received comes, and wherein provision is made for automatically stopping the train in the event that the signal s stem in- V blocks or sections; Fig. 2 indicates diagrammatically the devices and circuits appurtenant to the'cab apparatus; and Fig. 3 indicates diagrammatically the association of a cab system of a train with the track system, lndicatmg the operation of the cab signals under a certain condition.

In the drawings, 10 and 11 indicate the rails of a blocked track. Rail 10 is divlded into blocks, as by insulating bodies, 12, and this will will term the block rail; The rail is electrically continuous throughout each block (except for insulated signaling points or controls to be described). The rail 11 is electrically con-. tinuous through successive blocks in the preferred embodiment shown (except for .insulated signaling points or controls in each block), and this rail 11 I will distinctively refer to as the continuous rail.

Each block of the track is equipped with a local battery 13 bridged between the continuous and block rails, 1 and 10, at one end of the block, and with a track relay 14, bridged by wires 15 and 16 between said rails 11 and 10, at the-opposite extremity of the block. Thus each track relay is normally in a closed local circuit, to be shunted by the short ,circuiting of the track should a train pass into the block between the battery and the relay.

Each track relay 14 may be of any appropriate construction preferably to provide two armatures, 17 and 17 respectively, to govern the electrical connection ofcertain controls or signaling points in for-v eign blocks in opposite directions from the local or homeblock of the relay, so that the signaling range of each relay extends both in advance of and in rear .of home block, local to the relay. For the purpose of definition I will hereafter arbitrarily-term the direction to the right of any relay on the drawings, as in front of the relay, and the direction to the left as in rear of the relay.

Each armature, 17 and 17', governs the condition of certain dan or controls or contact points in the first oreign block, nthe appropriate direction, and also certain caution controls or contact. points in the second forei block in the same direction. 7 In general t ese controls or contact points are electrical contact members insulated from the common rails but adapted to be electrically connected with the railsthrough the operation of the appro r1ate governing re lay. Specifically, I re er that said controls or contact points 5 ould be embodied directly intheftrackage, in the, form of rail sect-ions insulated fromcthe common track,

' common track insulated sections, as shown a Wire 15, which respectivel cantionand danger (controls? or. insulateds tions' in theraill, 10', and 11? and 11' indica'te-isi'milar controls inrail 115? ,The made "elec'trically continirous by bonding "efirailjendstospan-such wiringio no To considen -speclf relay ljboth 'p'f' it iQII-IBS,L1 are connects 5.

oils rail 11. :Arniatui'e' thecoin'mOn track. A-second front contact 23- for armature" 17 has connection icyv wire 24 with the'caution "control or controls 10 in the block rail of these'co'nd foreign block ahead of the relay normally to connect the caution control? to the common track. -A'

back contact125] is provided forarmature 1 7,

having; connection to resistance coil .26, the

opposite terminalofwhich is-connected to thecaut ion control wire 24, so that it will plainly appear that as long as the armature 17 isattracted, the caution control 1090f the second foreign block in advance ofthe relay has low resistance connections with the common track rail 11, by the pathlO, 24,

45, rail 11' isefi'ecte'd through the resistance by 23, 17,18, 15,11, but when the armature 17 dropsb'ack against back contact 25, the electrical connection of said c'aution'control to path 10,24=,26, 25,17,18,15,11. The rear but the wiring connections ofthe rear arma-" v aIfmature' -IF of-the relay has connections identical in kind and arrangement with those of the armature 17 (correspondin parts bein indicated'by likenumerals 0 reference di erentiated by the exponent prime ture l7;extend to the danger controls 11 andcaution control 11 in the continuous rail 11 of the trackage in rearof the"home block. Thus, when any given relay isdeenergized, as by the presence of. a train within its home block, its respective front and rear armatures,-: 17 and ,17', afiect the electrical condition of'the danger. and cantion controls appurtenant to vthe block rail I 10 in advance of such relay, and lap purtenant to the continuousv rail 11 in rear of such relay, for advantageous purltrol-i or signaling 'point and the common track,--when the wheel contacts bridge between a control point and the common track.

poses which will hereafter become apgeneral the trackage eqnipment provides a track relay for each block,- bridged across the common track to receive current supply from a local bridge d battery, s'ucl1,:relay proyi'ding two armatures, respectivelyconnected 0 Work in opposite directions from the relay to governthe condition of control's' in fforeign blocks, each armature when attracted l-acting electricallyto connect both the dan er and caution control points governed there y i Wlth. the common track and, whenretracted, acting to open the wiring connections of the danger controls, thereby to isolate them from the common track, and, further,'to interpose resistance in the connection of the caution 'control'with the common'track. In general I prefer, as herein shown, to" distribute danger control points at intervals through- 'parent.. Thus, it will be seen that in n I out .each entire block, but it is generally sufficient toprovide for each block a caution controlonl-y near the forward .endof the block with reference to the direction of train movement, so that a caution signal. will'i'not The cab signal apparatus-provides, ingeneral, a source of current supply, and main circuit connections therefor, terminating in wheel contacts arranged to be closed through the rails when the train is running on common track and to be affected-by the conditionof the connections between any con- With suchmain circuit are associated electroresponsive signal devices, operating ini'espouse to the condition of the main circuit,

and so governed by the condition of the controls', said signal devices being arranged by their resultant operation to govern the signals' and thetrain-braking-or stopping appliances. In the specific construction shown duplicate sets of signal apparatus are provided on the engine cab, one to be governed wholly from the right wheels and the other.

wholly from the left wheels ,of the engine.-

Specifically, 3O indicates'an insulated con-v tact wheel'of a locomotive running on block rail- 10 and 30' 'a, corresponding insulated wheel, running on continuous rail 11. 31 and 31 indicate two electrically connected wheels runningon the respectiverails 10 and 1l, conn ection being eflected as through an axle, 32, and said'aconnected: wiheels being arranged at some little distance from the insulated wheels; For example, the con carriage equipment,-'a'11d the individually-innected wheels may be part of the tender 'or sulated wheels part of the .en his equipment."

Since the parts of the two circiaitsystems are substantiall duplicate, I, will describe only one thereo the other I 'se't of instruments 90 begiven until the train is about to leave the I block, and enter into a danger zone.

being designated by similar numerals differentiated by the exponent prime Thus, wheel 30 is connected by wire 33 with one terminal of a suitable current generator 34, while the axle 32 for wheel 31 has connection by wire 35 common to the two sets of apparatus, with a branch wire 36, including a danger relay D and terminating in 'a front contact 37, for the armature 38 constituting part of the main circuit, which continues from the tail of the armature by wire 39 to the opposite terminal of the generator 34.v A caution relay C is arranged in the main circuit in multiple with relay D, connection 40 being made from the wire 35 through the relay coil to a front contact 41 with which normally conta'c the armature 42 which is connected to the wire 39. It will be apparent that since both relays C and D are of the stick type,-the circuit once established (through the path 34, 33, 30, 10, 31, 32, 35, and parallel branches 40, C, 41, 42, 39; and 36, D, 37, 38, 39, back to the generator 34) will continuously energize'both relays O and'D .and' self-maintain said circuit closed as long as proper electrical connection is effected between the wheels 30 and 31. But, should the main circuit'be so. affected between wheels 30, 31, as to cause either relay to release itsarmature, the armature will remain retracted untilit is manually restored to attracted position. The relays C and D are respectively so wound that caution rela C is much weaker than-the danger refit so that the interposition between wheels 30 and 31 of a resistance (such as is furnished by a track-relay coil resistance 26) will'effectively deenergize caution magnet C, but will not deenergize danger magnet D.

The signaling clevices'spproper are preferably lamps, arranged to be energized from the generator 34, and disposed in circuits such that when both arm'atures '38 and 42 are in normal attracted position, a white light is displayed, and when armature 42 alone is retracted, a green light is'displayed, and when both armatures are retracted. a red light is displayed, the circuits for these vlights being wholly local to the train, and

having no inclusive connection with the contact wheels. Specifically, the white light, W, has one terminal connected by wire 45, to the front contact 41, for caution relay C, and its remaining terminal connected by wires'46 and 47, with the appropriate terminal of the generator 34, so that under normal conditions the white light is energized throughthe circuit 34, 39,42, 41, 45, WV 46, 47 34. The green light, G, has one terminal connected by Wire 48 with the rear contact, 49, of armature 42 for the caution relay C, its opposite terminal being connected by wire 50 through a spring switch 51,-arranged to be opened by armature 38 of the danger relay D, with the wire 47, so that when the caution rlay'alone is deenergized the green light is lighted through the circuit 34, 39, 42, 49, 48, G, 50 (including switch 51), 47, 34. The red light, R, has.

points on the rail 10in front of the local block and of the rail 11 in rear of the local block, it will be apparent that a train approaching said occupied block from either direction will have its left hand wheels, 30-31', cooperate with such affected controls or signal points, such left-hand wheels, as shown in Fig. 2, being those which govern the condition of the signaling devices on the right hand side of the cab under the supervision of the engineer, the duplicate set of signaling devices being on the left hand side of the cab under thesupervision of the fireman. Thus, except when an engine is backing, danger or caution ahead will always be indicated on the engineers set, and danger or caution behind on thef"fi remans set, so providing for distinctiontbet'ween the signals received to indicate the direction from which the signal comes.

WVit-h the signaling apparatusdescribed, I preferably provide a 'brake-controlling magnet, B, arranged in any suitable fashion to cause the setting of the train-brakes when the magnet is deenergized'and its armature permitted to drop; mechanisms sovto set the brakes are :well known, and need not :here be described. Suclfimzignet I preferably arrange in a circuit controlled by the armatur'ejof the dangerrelay WlllCh 1ndicates danger fahead l so that the brake will be set whenever danger aheadv is indicated,

and I further-preferably provide automatic means for switching thebrake magnet circuit into association with'the engineers signaling set, when the engine is moving forwardly, and into association with the firenians signaling set-when the engine is backing, thereby to insure that the brakes will be set when, and only when, danger in the direction of engine movement is indicated by the signal system. In this way, I insure that when one train approaches another from the rear, the brakes on the approaching train will be see ag soon as the danger indication isgiven, while the brakes on the leading train will not be set, thereby leaving it freejto proceed forwardly to clear the track forthe followingtiaiii or otherwise to avoid the danger 'of rear-end'collision.

I In the'specific construction shown the brake brakemagnet connections into operative as-' sociatlon wlth the firemans set,- and throws magnet B'has one terminal connected by wire 56- with' a switch lever 60, arranged to move between two contact points, '61 and 61, the former connected by wire 62 to the Wire 33, and the other correspondingly connected by wire 62 to the wire 33",v of the opposite signaling set. The remaining ter- ,minal of themagnet has duplicate connecw tions, one extending by'wire 63 through a jspring switch '64 to a front contact 6 5 for the danger-relay armature" 38 of the fire mans'set, and the other similarly wired with respect =-to the engineers set. The' switch 60- is preferably arranged for au'-.' tomatic operation in harmony with the movement of the engine reversing lever,

B. L., so that when thele'ver is'thrown as indicated in Fig.2 to drive the engine forwardly, switch 60 makes contact with point.

61, and close the spring switch 64, opening the opposite corresponding contacts. Thus,

resulting in the deenerigization of relay D of the firemans set, will not affect the brakemagnet as the circuit connections for associatlng said brake magnet with the fire mans' setstand open at contact 61 and switch 64. ,Obviously, however, when the engine is backed, the throwing of the reverse lever B. L. automatically shifts the the brake magnet under the control of the danger relay D, cuttingout the. control of :1 the engineers danger relay DZ;

' proaches, along block 1, a, train Y, in block 3. It will be observed that the presence of train Y in block 3 has-caused the dener-V In Fig. '3 I have shownconditions-existing in the cab circuit of atrain X as it apgiz'ation-of relay 14- appurtenant tosaid block, causing itsarmature 17 to retract, opening the circuit connections atcontact 19 and 23, and closing the circuit connections at 25'. Thus, for the caution con: trol' or contact, 11, in the lefthand rail of block 1,- (assuming the\ direction of movement of train X to. be

that indicated by the arrow) a resistance connection isestablished throughthe common track rail 11 by the path 24, 26", 25,

17', 18', 15, 11, while each of the danger controls 11 in block 2, is isolatedfrom-the track, its possible connection circuit (21',

20", 19, 17, 18, 15, and 11) being open between contact point 19 and track relayan mature 17 Accordingly when train X armature.

ger magn reaches the position indicated in full lines in. the drawing, (whereits insulated wheel 30 COfiQtS-RWltll the caution control 11 of block 1, while its conne'ctedwheels 3131'., rest uponcommon track rails 11 and 10,)

the interposition of the resistance 26 in the mainr'circuit '(from generator, 34 by the path as, 30, 11 ,245, 26, 25", 17, 18315,

11, 31, 32, 35, parallel branches 36, and 40',

through relays D and C, their armatures 38. and 42, and the common return wire 1: 39 back to thejgenerator) sodecreases the current fiow that the-weaker caution relay O is effectively denergized, thereby to drop its armature '42, cutting said relay out of circuit andclosing a 'circuitfor the green light Gr (through the path 34, 39, 42".,

49, 48', G, 50', 51", 47, backtothe genera- -to-r 34). -This caution signal, being'displayed on the engineers side of the cab indic'ates the presence of a train,- or some first danger control,,11 inblock 2, .as indicatediin dotted lineslln Fig.- 3, as soon as theinsulat'edI'wheel'30 comes incontact with said control'point 11 (which is wholly equivalent condition, in-the second block in advance. Assuming, now, that the train X is run slowly forwarduntil :it reaches the-.-

isolated from the common track by the.

breaking of the'c'onnection 1719 *at the track relay '14 for block; the; main circuit is completely broken between the wheels 30 -3 1, and the danger'relay '1) thereby becomes deenergized, dropping, its armature 38, closing the circuit for the red light R'- (34', 39,, as, 53, 52', Rye-54', 47', 34'.)

andal'so breaking the connection ifor the brake magnet B, at 65'. Therefore, not only is the red light R displayed on the engineers side of the cab, indicating danger 'ahead, but the brake magnet, by fits release,- is

caused in any appropriate way to set the brakes as the result of the dropping of its Shouldthe train A be placed in jeopardy by any condition existing in rear of it, the same signaling operations are ca- 3 pable of performance'on the signaling set on s the firemans side of the train, .except that the occurrence of a.'danger condition, causing the dropping of the armature 38 oiid'an et D with a consequent glowing of a the red light R will have no efiect whatever upon the brake magnet B, owing to the'disassociation of. said-brake magnet from. the

signaling set on the firemans side of the cab under the conditions assumed.

As graphically illustrated in 3, a

broken rail, interrupting the circuit relay 14 Y for block presence of. a train wlthm the block. and

provision may readily be made so that the resence of a car on a side track within foul- 3, will have the same effect as the v I mg distance of the maintrack may have the same effect, appropriate zones of the side track being bonded, as at s and 8 to the main track so that the presence of a car thereon in the switch will short circuit the appropriate relay 14 as efiectively as though the car were on the main track.

.While I have herein described in some detail a particular embodiment of my invention which I believe to be new in many of its details of organization and arrangement, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that many changes in the specific embodiment of the invention might be made without departure from its spirit and within the scope of the appended claims.

What Iclaim. is:

1. In a block signaling system, the combination of a track providing a continuous rail and a rail divided into block sections; a track circuit for each block including a track relay, two sets of control contacts for eachblock, respectively for connection with track relays in advance and in rear thereof, each set comprising a danger contact and a caution contact, two setsot' connections controlled by each track relay extending respectivelyin advance of the local block of the relay and in rear of said local block, each such set of connections normally connecting directly a danger contact with the continuous rail and a caution contact'with the continuous rail; and a cab signaling system. comprising two main circuits having separate contact members respectively arranged to cooperate with the two sets of control contacts of any block,-and caution signal and danger signal display means for each said main circuit.

2. In a block signaling circuit, the combination of atr-ack divided into blocks,a track circuit for each block including a track relay, two setsof insulated control contacts for each block, twosets of connections controlled by each -relay extending respectively in advance-of the local block and in rear of the local block of said relay, the forwardly extending connections controlling the electrical association -of certain control contacts of one set with the track and the rearwardly extending connections controlling the elec trical association of certain control contacts of the other set with the track; and a cab signaling system comprising two main circuits having separate contact members respectively arranged to co6perate'with the two sets of control contacts, each such main 55 circuit including a source of current supply ---carried by the cab, and a motor part for brake-control arranged for operative association with either main circuit alternatively.

3. In a block signaling system, the combination of a-track divided into blocks two sets of insulated control'contacts for each block, a track circuit for each block including a trackrelay, connections controlled by 5 each said relay governing the electrical association with the track of certain controls of one set in advance of the local block, and of certain controls of the other set in rear of the local block; and a cab signaling system comprising two main circuits respectlvely dependent upon the connection of the two sets of control contacts, each such main circuit including a source of current supply, electro-responsive devices, display means associated with each a said clectro-responsive device; a motor part for brake control; and means for connecting said motor part to be governed by one of the clectroa-esponsive devices of either main circuit.

4. Ina block signaling system, the combination of a track divided into blocks, two sets of insulated control contacts for each block,-a track circuit for each block including a relay; connections controlled by each said relay governing the electrical association with the track of certain control contacts of one set in advance of the local'block and certain control contacts of the other set in rear of the local block, and a cab signaling system comprising two main circuits respectlvely dependent upon the condition of the two sets of control contactsalong the track, each such main circuit comprising a source of current supply and an electro-responsive" device, a brake-controlling magnet, means connecting said brake-controlling magnet to be governed by the electro-responsive device of either main circuit; and means for association with the engine reversing lever for connecting said brake-controlling magnet to be governed alternatively by one or the other of said two electro-responsive devices, according to the position of said reversing lever.

5. In a block signaling system, the combination of a track divided into blocks a track circuit for each block including a track relay, insulated control contacts disposed in foreign blocks in advance of andin rear of the local block of each relay, electrical connections for each relay governing the association of said control contacts respectively in advance and in rear of the local block with the track; and a cab signaling system comprising two main circuits arranged respectively for inclusion of said advance con'- trol contacts and said rear control contacts, signal display means responsive to the condition of said respective main circuits, and brake-controlling means arranged for association alternatively with either of said main circuits, to be governed by the condition thereof. I

6. In a block signaling system, the combination with a track divided into blocks, of a 125 source of current supply and a track'relay for each block,-control contacts in foreign blocks in opposite directions from each said relay, respectively associated with opposite sides of the track, circuit connections for, 130

said control contacts; governed by the relay; Intestimony whereof I hereunto set my cab signaling means comprising two sets of, hand in the presence of two' Witnesses." circuit connections governed by the control contacts respectively on Opposite sides of the YORKE R track, and motor means adapted. for actua-' In the pi'esence oft-ion of a brake arranged for association with 'MARY F. ALLEN,

either set of said circuit connections. WQ LINN ALLEN.

Copies of this patent 'may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' -Washing'ton, D. 0.? 

